Improvement in sheep-racks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. LADD, OF WORCESTER, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN SH EEP-RACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,236, dated October30, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. LADD, of W'orcester, Washington county,Vermont, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheep-Racks; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side viewof my improved sheep-rack. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of thesame, taken through the linear .r, Fig. 1, and showing one of thedrawers drawn out and turned over for cleaning.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention consists in so constructing and pivoting the grain or feedtroughs of a sheeprack to the sliding frame in which they are set thatthe said frames and troughs may be drawn out laterally. and the troughsemptied or cleaned by turning them over upon their pivotingpoints, ashereinafter more fully described.

A is the frame of the rack. B are the sliding frames, in which the grainor feed troughs O are set. The frames B rest and slide upon cleats a,attached to the posts a of the frame A, or in grooves formed in thelower part of said frame.

The frames B are formed of a longitudinal piece, I), and two end pieces,b securely attached to each other. The rear side of the longitudinalpiece I) is straight; but the front side of said piece is inclined, tosupport the rear side of the trough O, as shown in Fig. 2.

' b are stoppins, which may project from the upper side of the piecesI), to prevent the said sliding frame from being drawn out too far bycoming in contact with the sill of the vertical racks D, as shown inFig. 2.

(J are the feed or grain troughs, the front sides, 0 of which are madevertical, and the rear sides, 0 inclined, as shown in Fig. 2. Thetroughs G are pivoted at their ends, and near their front sides to theend pieces, D of the sliding frames B, as shown in the drawin gs, insuch a position that the inclined side 0 of the trough may rest upon andbe supported by the inclined side I) of the sliding frames B.

c is a knob or handle attached to the front of the side 0 of the troughO, for convenience in drawing out the said troughs O and the slidingframes B, and c is a strap or handle attached to the rear side, 0 ofsaid troughs, for convenience in turning over and cleaning the saidtroughs.

D are vertical racks attached to or formed in the sides of the frame A,for the purpose of keeping the sheep apart while feeding. The slats ofthe racks D should be far enough apart to allow the sheep to readily puttheir heads through and remove them from the said racks.

E are the inclined racks that support the hay or fodder that is fed tothe sheep. The upper sides, 0, of the racks E rest against the upperpart of the frame A, and the ends of the lower sides, 6 of the saidracks are attached to the end pieces, a, of the frame A. This allows thesaid lower sides, 0 of the racks E to be raised a little above theangular block or timber F, so' that the orts may all escape from thesaid racks and find their way into the troughs C, from which they may beemptied, in the manner'before described. This construction also malgesthe rack "cry convenient in feeding grain. The grain, being poured alongthe length of the lower sides, 0', of the rack E, is equally divided bythe angular timber F and finds its way into'the trough O.

F is an angular block or timber, the ends of which are secured to theends of the frameA:

The upper side of the timber F is made in the form of a double-inclinedplane, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the orts, as they fall from the racksE, may slide down into the troughs O.

f is a strip attached to the under side of the timber F, as shown, forthe sliding frames B to shut against, to prevent them from being pushedin too far.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

The combination of the trough O and sliding frame B with each other andwith the frame A of the sheep-rack, when said trough and sliding frameare constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown anddescribed, for the purpose set forth.

HENRY H. LADD. Witnesses:

J. T. OLAPP, MARK P. LADD.

